#30: REMEMBERING MUTANABBI STREET 10 YEARS LATER

Mutanabbi Street is a celebrated part of Baghdad named for the 10th century Iraqi poet. It is filled with bookstores and cafes where people have gathered for centuries to exchange knowledge and ideas, and has been dubbed the heart and soul of Baghdad’s literary community.

But 10 years ago, on March 5, 2007, 26 people were killed when a car bomb exploded – destroying lives, businesses, and the vibrancy of this intellectual meeting place. Since then, the street has reopened, but the lives that were changed that day remain changed forever.

In Dubai, U.A.E. on March 5th – Hend Saeed will coordinate a reading at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. This reading will be in Arabic and English.